


Blind Spot

by notjustmom



Series: IronStrange Bingo [3]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Some Fluff, Some angst, Two Pining Idiots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-26
Updated: 2019-02-26
Packaged: 2019-11-06 00:25:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17929253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notjustmom/pseuds/notjustmom
Summary: Prompt: Friends to LoversOnce in a while even geniuses need help seeing what is in front of them... Rhodey to the rescue, eventually. In this verse, Tony, Stephen and Rhodey are the same age, Tony is still a genius but doesn't go to MIT until he's older.





	1. Chapter 1

They had been known as the Three Stooges since their early days in preschool, but only someone who wanted a knuckle sandwich courtesy of Tony Stark, the smallest but toughest of the three of them, would actually say it within hearing distance of any of them as they grew older. 

There was no reason they should be friends, as they came from completely different backgrounds, and their personalities seemed incongruous, but somehow in spite of everything, they were inseparable. Stephen was the strict logician; Tony, the creative mathematician, who always went with his gut, no matter what anyone else thought, and the role of empathetic diplomat fell to James. All could be as stubborn as mules, and on the rare occasion when they disagreed in public, the room would clear until Rhodey would talk sense into them until they were all laughing again.

They were the best of friends. End of story. Until that one spring night when Rhodey told Tony and Stephen that he had received his letter from the Air Force Academy, and he was going to accept the full ride.

 

"What the fuck, Rhodey?" Tony spluttered indignantly.

"I want to be a pilot."

"Since -?"

"Oh come on, Stark, you know he's always wanted to fly ever since Howard took him up in that two-seater when he was ten and let him take the controls for five minutes." Stephen sighed and ruffled Tony's hair.

Tony rolled his eyes at him and growled out, "but we were going to all go -"

Rhodey shook his head. "Tony. You and Stephen -"

"Nope."

"Tony. I'm more than smart enough for the Academy, but the two of you, you two are going to change the world some day. The things you guys think of? I want to be up there -" He pointed up to the night sky. "Maybe even, who knows? Go to the Moon? Mars? When I'm up there -"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Tony stretched out next to him in the yard, and for once, couldn't think of something to say. After a few minutes he sat up and looked over at his friend and nodded. "Yeah, Rhode. That's great, I'm happy for you, really. I've got some studying to do -" Stephen and Rhodey knew it was Tony's code for needing time alone, so they watched after him as he got up, dusted himself off and shoved his hands into his pockets then strode off in the direction of the Stark Mansion.

"Hell."

"He knew you had decided a long time ago, James." Stephen shrugged. "He just - it's always been us. It's like -"

"Yeah, I know, breaking up the Beatles. We've had a much longer run than the Beatles."

"I think he wanted to be the Stones," Stephen snorted, then shook his head. "No. Peter, Paul and Mary."

"Who is Mary in this scenario?"

"You always had the sweetest singing voice -" Stephen chuckled to himself then hissed at the punch he knew was coming. He winced as he sat up and rubbed his shoulder, then looked down at his friend who had gone silent.

"You will watch out for him, make sure -?" Rhodey whispered.

"He's a Stark, Rhode - he's tougher than anyone. His old man made sure of that."

Rhodey blinked up at him, then searched his friend's face, and came to a realization. "You -"

"What?" Stephen glared down at him.

"He doesn't know."

"Doesn't know what?"

"Stephen."

Stephen shook his head. "It would never work. He and I - we're too different and too much alike in all the wrong ways. He doesn't -"

"Aw, come on, Strange. I see how -"

"What?"

"You really don't know? How he looks at you sometimes, when you aren't paying attention? Come on!"

"What? Nah, his old man would kill him. He's supposed to," Stephen cleared his throat and gave Rhodey a half-hearted impression of Howard Stark. "Carry on the Stark name, our legacy - blah blah blah... whoever has the bigger stick... and, anyway, I'm going to be a doctor, Rhode, he's going to be designing weapons that could destroy every planet up there. He could do such great things, the ideas he has- "

"Hell, Stephen. You know Howard's dad ran a fucking garage in Harlem - and that he doesn't give fuckall about Tony."

"As long as he toes the line, just enough not to piss him off, you know - damn it, Rhodey. You know once he's done at MIT, he's going to be groomed to take over, there's no way, just - you can't - please, don't tell him? I don't want to lose him."

"He'd never let that happen, Stephen."

"James. Let it be."

Rhodey studied his friend's face and heard the depth of sadness in his voice, then hissed out a sigh, but nodded. "Yeah, alright. It's stupid, but, I swear, I won't tell him."

"Thanks." Stephen laid back down in the grass and whispered, "you really want to be up there?"

"Yeah, I do. Sometimes life here on planet Earth is just too stupid for words. There has to be a better place up there. Down here, when even geniuses -"

"You swore."

"I know."

"Pinky swear, James."

"Stephen."

"Pinky fucking swear, James."

"Yeah, alright." They both sat up and twined their pinkies together. "I swear, I won't tell Tony Stark that his best friend Stephen Strange is in love with him."

Stephen blinked hard at him and bit his lip. "You know it's better that he doesn't know."

"No, I don't, know that, and neither do you, but I swore. I pinky swore. Ridiculous. You two are just -"

"Thanks, Rhode."

"Don't thank me, Strange. I'm not doing either one of you any favors."

"It's for the best," Stephen whispered, as he laid back down in the grass and closed his eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twenty years later...

"Rhodey?"

"Hey, Strange."

"How are the youngsters? Keeping them in line?"

"Yeah. Listen. I need to tell you before you see it on the ticker -"

"What is it, it's been a long day already and -."

"I'm in Afghanistan right now."

"I figured that -"

"Tony. He was, is here for a sales-pitch."

"Crazy motherfu- I just talked to him, last week..."

"His humvee came under fire and -."

Stephen glanced down the hallway and saw Christine Palmer striding towards him. "I can't right now. I've - got - work. Talk later." He ended the call, then turned his phone off and turned his full attention to his partner. "What is it, Palmer?"

"Case. Nick wants to call it -" She chewed on her lip as she shoved the scan into Stephen's hand. He held it up to the light and swore.

"Jesus. Can't he just -"

"You know how he is."

"Yeah. Let's go."

 

Three hours later, Stephen fell onto the couch in the lounge and grabbed the remote and turned up the sound, as he saw a flash of Tony's image; his grinning, slightly ironic, but otherwise dead-on impression of his late father from a video taken from the last time he'd been in Afghanistan. "Idi-" He swore under his breath as they followed that video with a still of him from one of his functions, where he had a woman on each arm - twins. "Damn it."

"For those just joining us, it has been confirmed that billionaire, sometime philanthropist, and full time playboy, CEO of Stark Industries, Tony Stark is being held by a small group in Afghanistan, we have been granted access to video -" Stephen blinked at the remote in his hand and pressed the power button before the video appeared on the screen, then dug his phone from his pocket.

"Rhode. Tell me."

"He's alive. For now. But he's hurt, Stephen. It's -"

"How could you let him?" Stephen whispered at the phone.

"Let him? You of all people know better, Strange."

"Last time I talked to him -"

"I -"

"Don't fucking start, James. I told you -"

"You had a chance, Stephen. If you had just -"

"Yeah, he never would have - he keeps proving me right, James, every damn time -"

"You know they mean nothing to him." Rhodey sighed again, same decades old argument, but it was different this time.

"What, that's supposed to make me feel better? I wish he would ask Pepper to marry him. But she's too damn smart to fall for that - she knows all his lines, every play in the Stark playbook, but at least she would care about him more than his money."

"Yeah. Listen. I'm going to head out again to look for him, I'll let you know -."

"What -"

"There's no ransom, really, not one we can agree to and they know it, they just wanted to let us know that they have our 'golden boy.'"

"Shit."

"Try to-"

"Sleep? You always were the comedian, Rhode."

"No. No, I wasn't, Stephen."

Stephen whispered back, "Yeah, I know. If you - if you find him - tell him - just..."

"You mean, when I find him. And you can tell him yer damn self, Dr. Strange. I'm done. You two - damn it, Stephen, it may finally be too late."

"Yeah, well -"

"Stephen."

"Just bring him home, Rhodey."

"I will, Strange, I swear."

"Pinky swear?" 

"Pinky swear."

Even as they ended the call, they both knew it might not be a promise that he could keep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I'm going there... eight years later. Post Siberia, Tony visits Stephen to ask him to consult on Rhodey's case.

"Absolutely not."

"Stephen." Tony looked at his friend's face and knew his mind was made up, he had known it was a long shot, but maybe there was one last thing he could try. "If it's because -"

Stephen laughed darkly, and crossed his arms, then leaned back in his chair and spun around twice before he stopped and faced him again. "I don't work for you."

"I could arrange -"

"No. You can't and I wouldn't. Even if I were on your payroll, there's no way I would work on him, and you know it. He wouldn't ask it of me, and for you to - to try to - damn it, Tony - what the hell happened to your face?"

"Which time?" Tony snorted, and visibly cringed as he tried to get up from his chair.

"Has someone checked you out?"

"I'm fine."

"The hell you are. Why do I have to get my weekly Stark update from CNN? There was a time. Hell." He rubbed his face and cleared his throat, then pressed his intercom. "Palmer. Is there an available room that I can use for an exam?"

"Yeah, 210."

"Come with me."

"Stephen. I -"

"From what I understand, you are no longer arc reactor driven, so I don't know why you won't let me - shit. Sorry. Just let me look at your arm, at least get a sling on it, and get you something for your face, it has to hurt. Please, let me. You know, when you came back -"

"I couldn't, Stephen."

"Pepper told me you wouldn't see me. You would work with Rhodey - but you - I wasn't ever going to tell you - I could've helped you, it might not have been so hard -"

"Pepper left me. We're finished."

"Ah. I see."

"You see. God. It's so fucking easy for you," Tony swore through gritted teeth, as he already regretted the words as they left his mouth. "Stephen. Not what I meant."

"Those three months you were in Afghanistan. Rhodey wouldn't let me go over there, I would've been in the way, he said. So I worked. I worked every hour that I could legally work. The work I can do without thought now. I spend more thought on choosing the music I use for each surgery. I created a system, you'd find it fascinating actually. 

For the first month, it was all the songs you loved to belt out when we were getting plastered on Saturday nights. The second month, it was the music I would've chosen for when - when you got married to someone else, and the third month - the third month I was planning your fucking memorial service, Tony. It's a great playlist, you would have loved it. Maybe some day I'll play it for you. But then I see you on the news, that press conference, you sitting on the floor, burger in your hand. You were going to save the world, all by yourself. And all I wanted to do was get on a plane - I was already buying a ticket for that night when Rhodey called me to tell me that you were back, but didn't want to see me. The great Tony Stark didn't want to see me. Fuck, whatev- what the -" 

He closed his mouth as Tony slowly worked the buttons on his shirt, then swore as he tried to shrug it off. Stephen got out of his chair and moved to stand in front of his old friend, then eased the shirt from his dislocated shoulder, and realized how much pain Tony was actually in, before he saw the scars that decorated his chest and shoulders. He drew in a sharp breath and looked into Tony's eyes, then gently placed his hand over Tony's chest, and shivered when Tony froze, then rested his trembling fingers over his own. 

"You don't want to know - if you had seen - when I got home - I couldn't. All those times, at school, we were so close, but you wouldn't tell me, of course I knew, and then once my parents died and I had to - I - God - I wanted you - still do - I didn't think you could forgive me for everything. You knew, you and Rhodey were the only people who knew me, as I had been once, who I could have been, what I could have done. I wanted you to remember who I had been before, and then -"

"Shh. Don't." Stephen walked back behind his desk and pulled out supplies from a drawer. "I always had a first aid kit ready just in case you ever showed up, and needed someone to patch you up. You never did." He shrugged and snorted. "Palmer. She would give a month's salary to see me now. I almost called her in to assist, but she would've seen that I actually - actually am quite human, probably would've given her a heart attack. The nurses have a nickname for me. Did you know?" 

He carried the box of supplies over to where Tony was sitting in silence. "'Dr. Ice,' or just 'Iceman' on the days when it's a particularly crappy day and I'm in a mood. Those days when I see - when I know you are in pain somewhere and I can't be there to help you. I always knew. Even when you did call me, you would just leave me messages, I've kept every single one of those messages. I heard it in your voice, even when you didn't say. How much pain you were in, after New York. Sokovia. And now? You - Rhodey nearly died. Yes, I know he chose - he had the option to be by your side, you never gave me the choice. Damn it, I don't need an x-ray to tell me the bone is crushed; and no, I don't want to know what or who hit you, I have a good guess." He worked his fingers carefully over Tony's ribs and heard the involuntary sharp intake of breath. "Sorry. Broken this time, not just cracked. I'm admitting you."

"I -"

"Do not argue with me, Stark, and you will sit in a fucking wheelchair, and you will get in the bed. And stay there for as long as I tell you to. Do you -" His words stopped short as he felt Tony's body quake at his touch. "I would have loved you - damn it, I still do, after everything, I still love you. I just - I can't keep watching you - let me take care of you this time, please." He looked into Tony's eyes and saw the bruises that were still forming under and around his eyes, layering over the older slowly fading contusions. "Concussed too, probably. Don't go to sleep yet."

He reached over and pressed the intercom again. "Palmer."

"Doctor?"

"I need a wheelchair in here."

"Be there in a second."

"Thank you." He swore as he could hear her laugh.

"What?" Tony asked quietly.

"I never say thank you. To anyone. One of my many shortcomings. Not sure -"

"I love you, too."

"That's just the concussion talking."

"Stephen."

"You don't know me. I'm not -"

"Yeah, you are."

"Let's just get you back in one piece more or less before you start getting all -"

"I'm sorry."

Stephen felt burning at his eyes, then turned to see Christine Palmer standing there with a wheelchair. He cleared his throat again and nodded. "Can you help me lift him into the chair? Ribs and at least one dislocated shoulder, who knows about the rest -"

"Wouldn't it be better if we just bring a bed in here?"

"Christine."

She rolled her eyes then smiled gently down at Tony. "Yeah, I know. Sorry, Mr. Stark, this is gonna hurt for a minute. Damn, two guys tag teamed you, hmm?"

"Six of 'em - big guys." He bit his lip then looked away. "Yeah. It was two. Thank you, Dr. Palmer."

She snorted and shook her head as she helped Stephen carefully lift him into the wheelchair and turned to look at her obviously shaken colleague. "210 is okay, but we have that private suite upstairs, better security up there." Stephen nodded and took her place behind the chair. "I can take him up, if you want."

"No, it's fine, I don't have any cases today, Dr. Palmer. I'll page you if I need help and, Christine - just -"

"Mum's the word, 'Iceman.' I won't tell a soul, and if you thank me again, I'm going to think you've been possessed -" She stopped speaking as she saw a gentle smile touch his lips for a moment, then disappear as quickly as it had appeared. "You are quite welcome, Stephen. I'll get that paperwork started. I'll think of a fun pseudonym... hmmm... I'm going, I'm going."

As they made their way onto the elevator, Tony whispered, "thank you, Stephen."

"Don't thank me yet, you are going to hate me in a day, maybe less," Stephen muttered as they got off the elevator and he pushed him into the spacious, nicely furnished room. "I know it's not Stark Tower -"

"Never could."

"Never could what?" Stephen asked as he helped Tony into bed, then watched as he closed his eyes.

"Hate you. Never - love you."

Stephen sighed as he dropped into the chair next to the bed and whispered, "I have to wake you in a couple of hours. Just rest for now. Love you too. I'm sorry, too. Sorry I never told you before. I was afraid."

Tony opened his eyes and looked up at him. "You? You were never afraid of anything."

"I was terrified, if I told you how I felt about you, I'd lose the most important person in my life, if you didn't feel the same way, and even if you - we are, were - so different. I don't know - I don't know if you -"

"I've always wanted you, Stephen, and I will always, always be your friend."

"Pinky swear?"

Tony sniffed and stuck out his relatively undamaged pinky finger. "Pinky swear, Stephen."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a bit of an epilogue...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Wish You Were Here, songwriters: David Gilmour/Roger Waters
> 
> In this verse, I have the three boys growing up in California. In case anyone was wondering, In-N-Out burgers are mostly now found on the west coast, and in the southwest US. During their childhood, these restaurants were only found in California.

Tony paced nervously in his workshop, then looked up as Stephen appeared at the door. It had been nearly two years since Tony had officially retired from active duty, and his duties were now solely tech related, mostly building suits for Peter, as he kept growing out of them almost as fast as Tony could make them, but tonight there would be no discussion about tech or anything Avenger related. He was still trying to convince Stephen to sell his apartment and move in with him, but he was still understandably skittish. He hoped after tonight, that would change, but he still was a bit uncertain as to the approach he had decided on. Rhodey had thought it was perfect, and that in itself was making his stomach do somersaults.

"Hey. I stopped by and picked up -" Stephen stopped short as he saw the look on Tony's face. "Don't. You promised -"

"No - no. It's not - this is just about us, you and me, I swear. I just -" He took the carry-out bags from Stephen's hands, and breathed in the scent of -

"It's the closest I could get to In-N-Out, there's a new place, near the hospital..." Stephen's words faded as Tony placed the bag of burgers on the work table and he moved closer to him.

"Drop my needle, F.R.I.D.A.Y."

The familiar intro began and Stephen had to remind himself to breathe. He could so clearly see the old record store in his head, the day they found the album in perfect condition, had never been opened, let alone played. The three of them had spent hours playing it over and over again, until he swore he never wanted to hear it again, but to hear it now, here, in this space, his space - of course he had danced, as an adult, he had to attend those dinners where dancing had been required -

"Dance with me." Tony's voice purred under the music he thought he had buried so long ago, but as Tony's hands rested on his hips and pulled him close, and his own hands seemed to know where they belonged, he knew he had never truly danced with anyone before. It wasn't a song he had ever thought to dance to, but the remembered words slowly removed the last lingering doubts he'd been carrying about the man who was now leaning into him, as if he was finally at rest, finally at home.

 

_"So, so you think you can tell_  
Heaven from hell  
Blue skies from pain  
Can you tell a green field  
From a cold steel rail?  
A smile from a veil?  
Do you think you can tell?

__

_Did they get you to trade_  
Your heroes for ghosts?  
Hot ashes for trees?  
Hot air for a cool breeze..." _*_

__

__"Marry me?"_ _

__Stephen wondered if he had misheard, but he heard it again. "Marry me." This time it was less of a request, more a confirmation of something that they had always been. It was something new, but old, remembered from some other time, and all he could do was nod, then whisper, "yes. Of course, yes, I'll marry you."_ _


End file.
